Bound By Light: Skeletons on Parade
by TruthOutrunsTheFiction
Summary: A while ago, Rachel promised to share with Jack Skellington a spooky song for Halloween. It's the time of pumpkins and frights so the Bound By Light team heads back to Halloween Town for some spooktacular fun! Bound By Light Halloween Special. Comments appreciated.
1. Opening Comments

Hello again everyone and ((very)early) Happy Halloween!

I couldn't wait until Christmas to post my next story so here I cooked up another holiday special following the Bound By Light cast!

Like most holiday specials work with stories or TV, this does not necessarily fit into a specific slot in the KH, or Bound By Light timeline.

As you will soon find out, I have included Lea into the Halloween edition, suggesting it takes place _**post**_ Dream Drop Distance (my practice getting into his character a bit as he will be a player in future Bound By Light adventures (but you didn't hear that)). However, the Christmas special is set _**before**_ Dream Drop, thus no Lea. So this is just a fun filler and my treat instead of a trick.

A little longer than a one-shot but not a complete adventure so if a chapter ends on a strange note, I'm probably not done yet. My plan is to post a chapter every week until Halloween.

Hope you all enjoy and have a fun and safe Halloween 2015!

* * *

Also, a reminder, the ASK corner is now open! Anyone who would like to, and I encourage it, may ask me via PRIVATE MESSAGE questions regarding any act of Bound By Light, events and to the characters. The full rules are on the final chapter of Bound By Light: Destinies Intertwined. But so long as it is appropriate and story-related, you can ask the characters a question and I will attempt to draw the answer and post it on my DeviantArt page in a timely manner.

This link (assuming it works) will take you right there.

gallery/48642489/KingdomHearts

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Truth


	2. Arriving in Halloween

Seasons come and go as they are meant to.

And as the months stretch out and the seasons unfold, the troupe of Key Bearers realized the calendar was marching onward to Halloween. And of course, there was only one place to celebrate Halloween properly. After all, there was a promise to keep. So when Jack Skellington saw his costumed friends arriving through the Guillotine Gate, he could have shaken himself into a bony pile he was so excited.

When Halloween came around, Sora remembered the earlier visit he, Riku, Kairi, Rachel and Bryan had in Halloween Town. Jack's parting goodbye was said in the same breath (figuratively of course) with they should come back to be a part of the holiday performance. Sora also pointed out to Rachel she had gotten Jack all excited about a spooky song. No doubt the Pumpkin King had busied his bones to make this the Halloween to top all Halloweens and had worked them in somehow.

Everyone was quite tickled to be back in their awesome costumes.

Kairi smoothed out her spidery skirt and wiggled her toes, making the pumpkin bauble at the end of her shoes light up. "This is awesome! I'm excited already and we've only just arrived!"

Even Lea, who had never really spent any amount of time Halloween Town before found his clothes had changed the moment they arrived.

"Does this always happen?" He asked.

"You bet it does!" Sora said, making sure his pumpkin mask was on the way it should.

"Pretty cool, right?" Bryan took one corner of his cape and drew his arm over his face in true vampire fashion, his fanged smile just visible.

"Guess so." Lea looked himself over. He wore a blood red vest with a high, jagged collar. The back was split at the bottom and reached almost to his knees. The buttons of the vest were tiny gold skulls. But it seemed to be purposely designed not to close up completely, opening at a wide V mid-torso on up. The material of the inky black pants was a mystery, fitted and shiny like leather but Lea was certain it somehow wasn't. His feet and calves glittered with the gold buckles that lined his knee-high boots. Nothing extraordinarily remarkable about the design as a whole, but it was the details that added the fun twist. Meaning of course the narrow bat wings, devil's tail and the small black curved horns rising from around his temples.

"So is he meant to be a devil?" Kairi asked.

"Works for me." Lea said. He made a fist and immediately his hand was coated with fire.

"Niiiice." Bryan agreed.

"Are you sure?" Riku asked.

"What else would that be then?" Sora asked.

"In all fairness," Rachel said. "Neither you, me or Kairi are necessarily supposed to be anything specific either."

"I can't quite-I think I know what he's supposed to be but the name isn't coming to me." Riku continued. Looking Lea over again, he was sure the costume was supposed to be something specific but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Then he remembered what Killian had said the first time Riku met him in Rachel's storybook world as he and his twin tried guessing what kind of character he was.

… _and he'd have a tail and those pointless little wings_ …

It clicked. But he still couldn't think of what Killian had called it.

"You just got it, didn't you?" Rachel asked him.

"Yeah, how could you tell?"

"We practically saw the lightbulb."

"Remember the first time you brought me to your story world and the twins thought I was a character?"

"Of course, why?"

"What was that thing Elliot guessed that Killian thought was a stupid thing to ask?"

Riku could see her play the conversation over in her mind, getting to the point he was referring to. Then it clicked for her too what Riku was getting at. She looked Lea over again then broke into a sharp laugh.

"Omigosh you're right!" She said, her voice a little squeaky from laughing.

" _What_?" The others exclaimed, not wanting to be left out.

"What is this supposed to be?" Lea said. He looked over his shoulder, suddenly realizing the little wings, only about a third the size they'd need to be to be functional, were not props.

"I think," Rachel covered her mouth for a second, like she were embarrassed to be laughing but didn't stop smiling. "I think you're an _incubus_."

But her only reply was four blank stares.

"And what exactly _is_ that?" Lea asked in a just-get-to-the-friggin-point tone.

"The male version of a succubus."

Still didn't get that big of a reaction. Ok, maximum bluntness required.

"Lea, you're a sex demon."

Lea blinked, not sure if he was supposed to take her seriously. And if she was right, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about it.

Thankfully there wasn't a lot of time to ponder the topic because shortly after, Jack had spotted them by the gate and ushered them in immediately.

In no time introductions were made to new friends and Jack got them all completely caught up on what he had planned for this years Halloween spooktacular.

"Now, I know I say it every year, but this time I really mean it. This is going to be the greatest Halloween of all! With all of you here to help out and all the amazing ideas Sally and I have cooked up, nothing could top tomorrow's celebration!" Jack exclaimed. "I will admit though, you fellas had me worried for a bit that you might have forgotten to come."

"Of course we hadn't." Sora said. "We said we'd help, and we're here. We wouldn't have forgotten you."

"And indeed you haven't." Jack said through a skeletal smile. "Oh, before I forget. Miss Rachel, I believe you said you knew a perfect Halloween song you were willing to share?"

"Oh you're going to love this." Rachel said.

Jack put a bony hand on her shoulder and bent down to hear her quietly recite the lyrics to the song she had in mind. For not having any facial features at all, it was clear Jack was about ready to burst with delight from what Rachel was telling him.

"Oh my! Oh my goodness!" Jack stuttered. "That is-that is marvelous! Absolutely spectacular!"

"Did you hear anything she said?" Sora whispered to Kairi.

She shook her head. "Must be good though."

Jack started pacing and muttering to himself. "I never could have imagined such amazing lyrics. I may have to rethink the heart of the Halloween performance. Oh! This is possible! I think I know just what to do! Sora! Would you and your friends do me the great honor of dancing and performing scary magic while Rachel sings? With all of you performing in those spectacular costumes, this will be a show to remember!"

Sora and Kairi agreed with haste. The others were less enthusiastic about dancing but agreed all the same.


	3. Heart of the Party

The next day, ghosts and ghouls came out of the woodwork to see what Jack Skellington had planned for Halloween this time.

Sora had never seen so many spooks in Halloween town before. He'd only seen Jack, Sally, Doctor Finklestien and the Mayor, but this was as cool as it was creepy. Every kind of monster was present for the celebration, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, ghouls to name a few (along with a great many that didn't appear to be anything they knew the name of). The monsters and occupants of Halloween Town were certainly curious about their visitors, even moreso to learn these costumed strangers were to star in the festivities. Nothing like that had ever happened before.

Sora and the others took their places, waiting for Rachel to begin her song. The Master called Ocean Song. She blew gently onto the orange star. Light flickered inside and sparkled down the music lines that spiraled up the shaft. When she began her song (which at the beginning was more spoken than sung), at first there was no music, but the sound built after the first verse.

" _Behind a curtain of towering pines, the sun settling red. A city hidden high in the hills comes out to honor the dead._

 _Fam'lies som-ber-ly walk through the town, they build alters and pray. Clean the tombs and clutch ros-a-ries and speak of better days._

 _From the edge of the island, they ferry back to the shore. They climb under their covers and pray a little more._

 _In this ancient city of stones, they sigh and bow their heads. The living seem rather, well…_

… _dead."_

Then the music began to build, starting with a light, jazzy swag and the melody picked up too.

" _The sun is down, the earth shakes, the wind doth howl. And I'm makin' moves all across the park, we're stirring in the dark._

 _The caskets squeak, the trees wheeze, the crypts all creak. And toes sepulchered for months and months in dust are wiggling off their crust._

 _Shed your shrouds! Slip your fingertips through the ground! Get those catacombs open, I'm hopin' you'll join us._

 _Everybody come on out!"_

Once again the music built as did the kick of the melody. Everybody was dancing now. Or at least moving a lot and trying to make it look scary (Bryan especially as he refused to 'dance').

" _What a lovely, lovely night for a drink and a parade. We'll dance until the morning light. This town should be afraid."_

The verse repeated once more. Now they were really beginning to feel it. Kairi had taken out her Keyblade. The end pulsed with orange light, illuminating her face like holding a flashlight under your chin. The others followed her example.

" _Candied pumpkins! Sweet egg bread! We love ri-sing from the dead!_

 _Carpals, tarsals, vert-a-brae, that's us click-ing on pa-rade!"_

Then Jack joined in for a line.

" _I move without any muscles, my skull's a cavernous hall. Tendons are made for pulling, my friend, I don't need them at all!_

 _Mescal on our mandibles and porridge on our ribs, their prospects are loo-king quite grim!"_

" _Board the mariposas now! Set sail for the quivering light ahead, we're de-sen-ding on the town! The living we're scaring, nightmaring in fright. They wait forever to bring us together._

 _We finally wake them up to-night!"_

Nobody was really much of a dancer (except Kairi and Sora who, although not very good were really good sports at that sort of thing) but everyone had fun. Lea twisted widely with a fireball in each hand, casting a great illusion of being on fire. Sora had too much heart to be scary but he was having fun trying. The vampires, creeps and ghouls were all dancing too. Jack had been dancing about with Rachel at the center of everything since his short duet.

" _Flee the mousolea, fly sarcophagi! Pandemone the plaza, tibia-fibia-fie! You ligamentary life-ers, your fractured foolish plight!_

 _Pluck yourself from your gravesite!_

 _Yock-de-hay!_

 _Yock-de-hay de yockety hum, the devil is happy to say_

 _Yock-de-hay de yockety hum, no one gets away!"_

The music hit several hard notes of the electric guitar coming from her Keyblade, then she smashed her blade to the ground, causing immediate silence as she had everyone's attention. Rachel looked around. Then in a musical whisper like a lullaby,

" _Goodnight all my children now, you must lay down your heads,_

 _You wouldn't want the sun to catch you missing from your beds_."

A short silence followed, then all the ghouls and goonies began to clap and cheer.

"Another great Halloween!" Someone shouted.

"Bravo, Jack!"

"Yes, yes! Very unique, Jack!"

"That was amazing, Jack! Just amazing!"

"Now, now," Jack tried to get them all settled down. A difficult feat considering the celebration they just witnessed. "Thank you, thank you all. But we mustn't forget, this was a team performance." He gestured to the costumed key bearers.

That sent a mob of fans after them, congratulating them on their dancing, magic and of course Rachel for her song. Thankfully the Mayor broke things up when he announced there were prizes to be distributed for Halloween activities performed throughout the day. Prizes for things like most people scared, loudest scream etc.

"I gotta ask," Lea said to Rachel after the monsters stopped swarming them and were distracted by Halloween prizes. "Where did you learn a song like that?"

"I can't remember."

Lea looked like he didn't believe her but didn't follow up.

"So what now?" Kairi asked. "The big party was great but what next?"

"We can't just leave." Sora said.

"Well, if the party is over we could." Bryan said.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "Just say thanks and goodbye to Jack and maybe head back to get in some trick-or-treating somewhere else."

"Somewhere where we're not likely to get real shrunken heads?" Bryan said.

"Exactly."

"I like that idea." Kairi said.

So they were about to find Jack and say their farwells but were held up by Sally first.

"Oh wait! You can't go just yet. There is still one more Halloween Town tradition left."

"What's that?" Riku asked

"Soon everyone will gather in the graveyard for a grand bonfire and share ghost stories." Sally told them excitedly. The crowds around them were beginning to thin already after the prizes as everyone was heading toward the graveyard.

"That sounds like fun!" Sora said. And their plans immediately changed.

"And don't worry, Lea." Rachel took Lea's hand and patted his arm in a comforting, mocking, 'There, there,' sort of way. "I'll sit right next to you to hold your hand in case you get scared. Ow!"

He reciprocated by forming a tiny fireball in his palm so she had no choice but to let go or get burned.

* * *

The song sung, "Skeletons On Parade" (also obviously the inspiration for this special's title) is performed by Ludo. If you decide to YouTube it, you will understand why I omitted parts of the song from the story.


	4. Ghost Stories

"…and the voice called again 'Where is my to-o-o-o-e?' The boy heard footsteps through the kitchen, the living room and up the stairs. 'Where is my to-o-o-o-e?' It groaned. It was right outside the door. The door opened. The boy shook terribly with fear as the footsteps came nearer in the dark. 'Where is my to-o-o-o-e?' the voice groaned…'YOU'VE GOT IT!"

The werewolf telling the story of The Big Toe screamed the last line and jumped at the nearest monster to him, causing all nearby to jump. There was a chorus of delighted squeals at the fright.

"Another wonderfully spooky tale." The Mayor said. "All right, who's next?" Hands, claws and tentacles all shot up in the air, all begging to go next. "Now, now, settle down. Everyone will get a turn."

"Say, Mayor," Jack said. "Why don't we let our guests have a turn? They must have some spooky stories to tell from where they're from."

"Oooooh!" A monster boy said. "New stories? New stories!"

Soon the entire crowd had their eyes on the key bearers, eagerly awaiting a new story to chill their bones.

"Oh great." Riku said. They weren't going to get out of this for sure.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun." Sora said to him.

"You're one to talk. When was the last time you told a scary story?" Riku replied.

"The night before Rachel and Bryan came back the second time! That was a great story!"

"I think Kairi and I ended up laughing."

"Well there are Island stories and legends." Kairi pointed out. "You guys can't have forgotten."

"Oh, right!" Sora said. That got them all thinking.

"I know!" Kairi said. "Remember the old story about the Omen Corpse?"

"Oooooh! Omen Corpse?" The monsters were excited just by the title.

"I remember that. That one totally freaked me out as a kid." Sora said. "You too, I believe." He said to Riku, playfully elbowing him in the side.

"It did not. I never believed that one."

"Liar."

"How does it go?" A vampire urged Kairi.

"The Omen Corpse is said to be a ghoul that travels around our islands. They say it's that shape you see through the windows out of the corner of your eye. Catching a glimpse of it doesn't mean anything. But if you think you've seen it, better not go outside after it or else you'll never be seen or heard from again. The real trouble comes if you look out your window and it you see it looking back. The ghoul supposedly takes the shape as yourself in the condition of your body when you die. If one day you drown, it will be soaking wet or draped in seaweed. Some say it is a messenger, just giving you the heads up on how you will eventually die. Others say it's an omen and you usually have only a few months at best before it comes true and the face you saw through the window is the face you will leave this world with."

There was a collection of awed 'oooohs' through the audience. Not necessarily a spine tingling tale but new and spooky all the same.

"More! More! More!" Someone cawed.

"What about Red Bones?" Riku suggested, he'd been thinking while Kairi told her story.

" _That_ one I never believed." Sora said.

"Now who's the liar? I always knew that was the story that made you hate camping."

But before Sora could say anything, the swamp thing shushed him so there were no interruptions.

"Red Bones is said to be an experiment gone wrong by an ancient, terrible witch doctor hundreds of years ago. He is said to have the body of a man and the head of a razorback boar. The beast was cruel and greedy. He demanded the witch doctor give him the power of immortality. So the witch doctor, no angel either, told the monster the ' _secret_ to immortality'. In order to live for all eternity, he would have to find and eat the red bones of a human. Human blood could extend his life, but it wouldn't make him immortal. He could be dependent on humans until he found one with red bones. That was how he got his name. He stalks the high mountains for lost victims. When he finds one, he devours them and spits out their bones to check if they're red. If not, the rage of his howl shakes the night and he leaves the bones to be found in the jungles by other travelers. He must not have found his 'key to immortality' yet because they still find piles of bones in the mountains."

"A creature after my own heart," A witch cooed.

"Marvelous!" Jack said. "Who's next?" He looked to Bryan.

"Nope, I got nothin'. I don't know any good stories. Lea might." He said, redirecting the attention.

"Thanks a lot." Lea muttered t him. "Umm, I guess I know one. It's not really all that scary but here it goes.

"So a group of friends is at a party. They're having a good time and the conversation comes around to the graveyard not far away. One of them says how if you stand of a grave at night, the occupant will reach up and drag you below. One of the girls is like 'Ha! That's just a stupid story. Nothing happens if you stand on a grave.' So one of the friends dares her to do it. But to make sure that she doesn't chicken out, he gives her a knife to stick in the ground to mark the grave she stood on, proving she'd been there. So she leaves to the graveyard. She stands over the grave for a minute but nothing happens, just like she thought it would. With the task done the girl knelt down and plunged the knife into the ground like she was supposed to. Thinking this was a stupid dare she got up to leave. Only when she did, something was holding her back! She couldn't get away. She screamed and screamed for help but no one was near enough to hear. Back at the party her friends assumed she hadn't come back because she chickened out and just didn't want to face them. But the next morning, no one had seen her. So they went to the graveyard, the last place they knew thought she had been. They found her lying dead across a grave. She'd accidentally stuck the knife through her own dress, pinning herself in place. It wasn't the dead man at all. She'd died of fright."

"How dreadfully wonderful," A hag cackled.

"Mommy," A little ghoulish child said. "Can you tell me that as a bedtime story?"

"What about you?" The swamp creature asked Rachel. "You know scary songs, surely you know a scary story?"

Rachel looked slyly at the swamp thing with a knowing grin. "Oh, you bet I do."

There was an excited murmur through the audience. Even her friends were curious. Just as much about what kind of story she'd tell as that creepily uncharacteristic smile. Jack encouraged her to go on. So, like a diva taking her place on center stage, Rachel went to a nearby tree and hopped on the lowest branch. She held herself like a queen on her throne.

"Listen well, everyone. Be still and prepare your hearts. Prepare to have your blood turn cold as I regale for you this terrible tale. Listen carefully as I tell you this story, the tale of The Oath of One Hundred Heads."

* * *

Last chapter will be posted on Halloween. In the next chapter, Rachel is likely to surprise us all with The Oath of One Hundred Heads, a great ghost story but so nobody gets their panties in a bunch about it being slightly graphic/violent: this is the heads up warning you the story is a little graphic/violent. What can I say? Rachel likes using fancy phrases and surprising people.


	5. Rachel's Story

"This tale of terror begins long, long ago in a solitary log cabin deep within the woods of a far off land.

In this cabin lived the skilled hunter, Bill Quick and his father. Though there was a village nearby, the two men rarely visited except to collect ammunition or essentials they couldn't acquire through their chosen lifestyle in the feral woods. Even then, they were not known for the civilities of society. The villagers avoided them whenever they could. However, the company that father and son provided each other was the only anchor of humanity they had.

So it came as little surprise the devastating impact the murder of the elder Quick had on his son.

It happened one evening while Bill was out hunting. A band of local Indians raided the cabin and attacked his father, leaving the old man broken and bleeding on the rough floor. The horrible sight Bill was met with when he returned scarred him deeply. The few fragments of tenderness that survived within Bills' heart from the isolated years in the wild were instantly destroyed. His eyes blazed with homicidal rage. On that day Bill Quick made a vow that would strip his soul of all remaining grace and humanity and send him down the agonizing path into madness.

Beside his father's bleeding corpse, Bill vowed vengeance. Howling with grief and rage he swore to take 100 Indian lives before he died. From that moment on, Bill Quick dedicated the rest of his life to his macabre promise. Bill used his expert skills as a hunter to fulfill his business carefully, stalking lone Indians like some kind of foul beast. One by one he inched closer to his ultimate goal. The kills were quick, a single shot to the heart. But Bill added his own twisted touch. The hunter would remove the head of his victim and take the grisly memento home to be placed like a trophy on the shelves lining the walls of his cabin.

The Indians of the region were at a loss for what was befalling their tribesmen. There was no way of retaliating against the unknown menace. All they could do was wait for the next headless body to be found and hope they wouldn't be next. But they learned quickly. Only those traveling alone were targeted so fewer and fewer tribesmen ventured out alone.

Fulfilling his vow became increasingly difficult over the years as the Indians became more cautious. But Bill only became more vigilant. He lost himself entirely in the hunt. He was never known for socializing and he became more reclusive as his collection of heads grew. The villagers warned their children of the madness in his eyes and gave him wide berth when he came into town for ammunition and supplies, even his own son, Tom.

Tom Quick never got along with his father, nor did they see much of each other. Tom's mother died shortly after he was born and he was raised by his grandmother. Tom never took any interest in the hunt or the wild lifestyle of his father. He was an easy-going young man with an agreeable disposition. The mad old hunter scarcely gave a thought to his indolent son. Little did he know the fulfillment of his life's work would soon rest solely on Tom's shoulders.

Saying that Tom was surprised when he got word his father wished to see him was a great understatement indeed. Some passing trappers came through the forest and heard the old man wailing his son's name. Supposedly the mad hunter had fallen terribly ill. While Tom had nothing in common with his father, he had always respected his father's strength and was always eager to please him however he could. Thus Tom ventured into the dark, wild woods to his father's cabin, growing evermore uneasy by the heavy smell of death that hung around the log house. When Tom opened the door, the stench of rot was so thick he could barely breathe.

The sight he was greeted with made him swoon with horror. Shelves lined all four walls of the log cabin and were loaded with human heads in varying stages of decomposition. Many were bare grinning skulls, long since stripped of distinguishing tissue. Other heads gaped in their deathly repose, their mortal features perverted by burrowing maggots and the unforgiving chemistry of putrefaction. And in the center of it all, wheezing heavily on his bed, Bill Quick stared at his son with feverish eyes.

With horror filling his soul, Tom listened to Bill's tale of his father's murder and his oath to kill 100 Indians before he died. Tom still couldn't believe the horrors his father had committed and was unable to grasp why _he_ was the one Bill was telling all this to.

'W-would you like me to b-bring a priest, father?' Tom asked, unable to control the quiver in his voice.

'I'm not confessing, you idiot!' Bill snapped in irritation. 'You're here because sickness has claimed me before my work was done. There are only 99 heads.' Feebly he pointed to the final space on the wall. 'The duty falls to you to kill the last Indian and fulfill my oath. Only then will I be able to rest in peace.'

Tom began moving back from his father, shaking in terror at the request. 'I'm not a killer, Father. I'm sorry but I cannot do this for you.'

' _ **Can't**_?!' Bill roared. 'You will or I swear on all that is unholy you will live to regret it!'

Terrified, Tom bolted out of the cabin while his livid father roared with rage. Bill's parting words burned in Tom's ears as he slammed the door shut and ran through the woods.

' _If you do not finish my work I will return from the grave and seek you out_!'

The dying man's bloodcurdling shrieks rang over the trees as he roared his son's name. Tom broke into a manic sprint, screaming as loud as he was able, trying to drown out his father's voice. Bill Quick died shortly after.

Tom's life quickly went very bad after that. He tried losing himself in drink in an attempt to forget his fathers' final vow to come back for him. He saw his father everywhere, glaring from around every corner, in every shadow, constantly reminding him of his neglected duty.

It didn't take long before Tom cracked under the weight of his father's hateful specter. He would frequently begin babbling about the meeting in the unholy cabin and the gruesome debt he still owed Bill's ghost. The villagers were no help at all. Tom was labeled the village idiot as well as the town drunk and was soon the laughingstock of the community. The teasing and ridicule were constant, especially when an Indian came to town. 'Here's your chance, Tom!' Someone would shout. 'Better get to work before your dad comes to get you!'

Tom endured two years of this nightmarish existence before a late-night visit in the fall stripped him of the last fragments of sanity he had left. He was trying to sleep one cold fall night when the door to his cabin was violently flung open. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the autumn moon, was the rotting corpse of Bill Quick. Tom stared, speechless in wide-eyed horror as the undead ghoul brandished his hunting rifle and shrieked savagely. The inhuman voice thundered from his decaying lips. He was tired of waiting. Quick ordered his son to kill the one-hundredth Indian so that he and his own father could finally rest. If he had not done so by the following midnight, Bill vowed to return with Tom's murdered grandfather.

In a fit of frantic hysteria, Tom ran through the village streets, pounding on doors, begging for refuge. From his frenzied tears and intelligible garbling about his father's corpse, the unfulfilled oath and his impending doom, it was clear to everyone he had finally gone completely mad. Tom's frantic search for sanctuary from the undead madman continued through the next day but everyone gave him wide berth, wishing to have nothing to do with a raving lunatic. The last anyone saw Tom Quick, he was plunging into the woods as dusk fell, tearing down the path that led to his father's cabin.

The next day some of the village men went looking for him, expecting to find Tom in the woods somewhere, dead or unconscious from a fall or something following his mad breakdown. Tom's trail led the search party straight to the door of Bill Quick's cabin. Ever since the old hunter died, people avoided that part of the woods however they could, sensing a foreboding, evil presence about the place.

On that day, the village men would discover why.

Pushing open the door to the log hut, the men gazed in mute terror at the skulls displayed in their perfect rows along the walls of the room.

And on the space reserved for the last skull was Tom Quick's freshly decapitated head, oozing ruby drops on the shelf below, staring wide-eyed in horror and twisted with a look of incomprehensible agony.

His body was never found."

The hush over the crowd was deafening. Rachel sat on her branch, posture high and proud like a peacock.

A goblin had been clinging to Lea's arm for dear life. Bats were hiding behind the hats of witches. Skeletons hanging from a haunted tree had been clutching their necks, as though afraid their heads might be stolen by Bill Quick if they weren't careful.

Her friends, even her brother just stared with their mouths open. _Their_ Rachel came up with a story like _that_?! Riku even looked a little freaked out. He knew his Rachel was a very multi-faceted person, but even he was a bit unnerved that such a story of blood and death and vivid description came from the same lips he pictured himself kissing.

"The end." She added lightly when no one said anything.

Again, it took another stunned minute before people and creatures started applauding.

"You know Jack'll make sure she's here every Halloween from now 'til the day she dies." Bryan said to Sora as the crowd came to life again. Jack was giving her a bony handshake with a lot of gusto.

"This is Halloween Town. She'll probably be retelling that story even _after_ she dies."

"Good point."

"Bravo! Bravo!" The Mayor waddled through the crowd with something in hand. "Unless anyone else has anymore stories they'd like to share, I think we know right now who has the most votes for the Spookiest Story award!" No one in the audience gave any indication they objected in any way. Satisfied, the Mayor continued. "Then without further ado, I pronounce that the final prize for this years Halloween celebration, the Spookiest Story award, go to Miss Rachel and The Oath of One Hundred Heads!" He handed the young Master a small trophy. The top was an open book with a snarling carved pumpkin face on the cover. "Please accept our prize."

Rachel thanked the Mayor for the story prize. Shortly after everyone, man and monster alike broke off to go back to their damp holes and sewers, dusty closets and cobweb-y corners. With the festivities finally finished, Jack thanked the key bearers once again for all their help in making Halloween an amazing success.

"You don't think there's any time left to go trick-or-treating back home, is there?" Kairi asked as they went back to Guillotine Gate.

"I think I'm a bit Halloweened out." Bryan said. "We did a lot tonight."

"Yeah," Lea stretched and agreed. "I wouldn't mind doing this next year though. But I'm not dancing again. And hopefully I get a new costume."

"Why?" Rachel asked. "You look great."

"Not if I'm supposed to be that incu-thing. I mean, yeah, I'm a great catch but that's just a little weird."

"How are we to know if that's what you're _supposed_ to even be? Riku and I just said that's what it made us think of."

"Probably not the best idea," Sora commented to Kairi while Rachel and Lea were talking. "Even if we did, I don't think we'd keep our costumes. We can't trick-or-treat properly without being dressed right."

"Maybe next time." Riku said.

Sure enough, once they stepped back on the Sky King, their costumes blended back into their usual clothes. It was late and they all agreed maybe they'd plan better next year to have their own Halloween in a more traditional sense for them (meaning none of your candy would have fish bones in it or getting chocolate coated insects in your basket) before or after going to Halloween Town.

"Maybe just home and bed?" Rachel asked. Already she was missing her outfit.

"I guess we might as well." Kairi said.

Bryan flew to the front of the King and attached his Keyblade to the bow. Rachel turned the helm and the ship began to move.

"I can think of a lot worse ways to spend a day." Sora said with a grin. "Happy Halloween, everyone!"


End file.
